[Scan-DC] CERT Exercise the First-of-its-Kind in the Region

[Alan Henney]

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service

Tom Carr, Fire Chief    Pete Piringer, Public Information Officer
Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe St, 12th Floor, Rockville, MD
20850
   CONTACT: 240.777.2474 – Media Hotline – 240.777.2442

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 1, 2007

Community Emergency Response Teams to Converge on Rockville
Multi-Jurisdictional CERT Exercise the First-of-its-Kind in the Region

On Saturday, June 2, 2007, the Montgomery County, Frederick County,
and Prince Georges County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
members will be participating in evolutions to evaluate their
knowledge, skills and abilities.  The scenario involves a significant
weather emergency. We expect between about 100 CERT members to be
involved.

This is the first-of-its-kind multi-jurisdictional CERT Exercise in
the national capital region. In addition to those from Montgomery
County, personnel and equipment will be coming from the City of
Laurel, Town of Berwyn Heights, Prince George’s County, and Frederick,
Maryland. June 1 is typically the beginning of this area’s Hurricane
season which forecasters are predicting to be busy. Again, the
scenario involves a significant weather emergency.
For the past several years, hundreds of Montgomery County citizens
have become interested in becoming Community Safety Advocates and
front-line assistants during emergencies in their communities. The
program was modeled after the Federal Emergency Management Agency,
Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) program that was
originally developed by the Los Angeles Fire Department in 1985. The
Montgomery County CERT participants attend at least six (6) classes
over a 2-week period, meeting two nights a week with two all day
Saturday session to include a practical and test day. At the end of
the training, participants are empowered with the following knowledge
and abilities:
2 - CERT
• Identifying and mitigating potential hazards in the home and
workplace.
• Initiating plans to prepare themselves and their loved ones for the
hazards that they face.
• Learning skills to help themselves, loved ones, and neighbors or
fellow employees until professional response resources arrive.
• Working cooperatively as a team within their neighborhoods or
workplaces.
• Maintaining a relationship with the agency that sponsors the CERT
program.
• Participating in continuing education and training.
• Volunteering for projects to enhance the public safety of their
communities.



For the multi-jurisdictional CERT Exercise on Saturday, June 2, team
members will be divided into six groups to rotate through to
accomplish several objectives, including: Using fire extinguishers to
contain small fires to an area of origin; Using small tools, to
initiate a light search and rescue in a wooded area to find a missing
victim; Using small tools, conduct a light search and rescue operation
in a building area to find victims requiring triage and possible
decontamination; Using basic medical supplies team members will
activate “Disaster Medical Operations” thus utilizing first aid
skills; Using the Incident Command System, participants will initiate
triage, treatment, and sheltering documentation; and using portable
radios groups will practice the proper use of radio communications
with the incident commander.

DATE: Saturday, June 2, 2007
TIME:  8:00a to 1:00p
LOCATION: Public Safety Training Academy, 9710 Great Seneca Highway,
Rockville
There will be six Exercise/Training Scenarios. Each session will be 20
minutes with a ten-minute break for rehab, etc. – 1) Fire Suppression.
2) Light Search and Rescue (Searching Wooded Area). 3) Light Search
and Rescue (Searching a Building). 4) Collapse Area for Search and
Rescue, Cribbing and Mass Movement. 5) Victim Recovery for Triage and
Sheltering (Disaster Medical Operations). 6) Communications (HAM
Radio)
Various emergency response, fire and rescue, decontamination (decon)
and CERT (community emergency response team) equipment will be on
display.